Silo.



M. 0. BECKNER.

SILO.

APPLlcATloN FILED JUNE 9.1911.

1,280,372. Patented oet. 1, 1918.

@L H no.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY me Nonms percus cul. mom-urne., w4snms ruw. u,

MATTHEW 0. BECKNER, 0F ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

sito.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Uct. 1, 191e.

Application led June 9, 1917. Serial No. 173,811.

lodge any desired quantity of ensilage from theglower. portion thereof,said means including a cutting element adapted to cut or loosen thecompact mass.

A still further object of the invention is to 4provide a cutting anddislodging means for the purpose set forth, includin a rotatable elementwhich forms a false bottom for the silo, adapted when rotated todislodge predetermined quantities Aof ensilage from the mass,dependentupon the 'extent of rotation, `whereby the dislodged ensilagemay pass through the rotatable elelment and into a pit providedto'receive the same. i Y

In addition to the foregoing my 1nvention comprehendsfimprovements 1nthejdetails of construction and arrangement of the parts to behereinafter more fullv described 'and particularly set forth in theappended claim.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar and corresponding partsare designated by the same characters of referencethroughout the severalviews in which they appear: p

. Figure 1, is a view in side elevationI of a silo constructed Vinaccordance with my invention. 1'

Fig. 2, is a view in vertical section of the lower portion of myimproved silo.

Fig. 8, is a horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 'of the precedingligure, and

Fig. 4, is a detail view in section of the rotatable cutting element.

With reference to the drawings, 10 indicates generally a silo ofconventional `type the wall of which is thickened at its lowerportionvas indicated at 11 to provide an inner annular ledge 12, locatedat anydesired height above the floor 13 Ithereby forming a pit whichshould be sufficiently deep to provide head room whereby e person maystand upright therein. In the type of silo illustrated in theaccompanying drawings the floor is coincident with the level of theground, however if desired the pit may be sunk below the surface of theground and access to the pit provided by means of an inclined runway. Inany event an opening 14 is provided in the thickened wall of the silo topermit ingress and egress.

`A framework is constructed in the pit which may comprise beams 15 ofstructural ironA arranged in radial formation with their adjacent endsconnected together centrally 0f the silo, and their remote ends embeddedin the thickened wall of the silo. A rotatable element indicatedgenerally at 16 is provided, and is utilizable both as a false bottomfor the silo and as a means to loosen the lower portion of the compactmass of ensilage. To this end the rotatable element is located in theupper end of the pit and comprises a plurality of radial arms 17,connected together at their inner ends in any suitable fashion, the armsbeing of a length sufficient to extend from the center of the 4silo tothe inner surface of the thinner wall of the silo, with the remote endsof the arms spaced above the aforesaid ledge 12. The outer extremitiesofA alternate arms, or each arm as desired, are or is provided withanti-friction rollers 18 which are designed to rest upon an annulartrack 19 supported upon the ledge. The center portion of the rotatableelement is supported upon the center portion of the frame formed by thebeams 15 through the medium of an anti-friction bearing which comprisesa circular castine 2O secured to the under slde of the rotatableelement, and a complemental circular casting 21 mounted upon the frame,the closely spaced faces of the casting being formed with annularrace-ways to receive ball-bearings 22. The upper casting 20 may beformed with a 'central recess and the lower casting with a verticallyprojecting stud 23 to enter the recess whereby the castings will bemutually centralized and rotation of the rotatable element in apredetermined circular path insured.

.Mounted upon the radial arms 17 of the rotatable element is a metallicdisk 211 which is cut away for approximately one quarter itscircumference to form a quadrant shaped openin 25 havin radial edges.The material -o the disk a ong one radial edge is preferably bentdovsfnward against the side of one of the arms 17, the corner of thebent portionbeing subsequently slightly turned up and sharpened tof/orma cutting edge 26. The disk is then twisted so that its upper surfacemay define a por# tionof ahelix as indicated in Fig. 2 of the; drawings.In' view ofthe spiral formationMA of the disk the upper edges Aof the,arms 175' should be inclined from end to end in order that the diskwhen supported `thereon ina-y perform the function expectedr'of it. Thewallof the" silo just above the rotatableelement ma. lbe .formed with adoor opening 27 if desired, .and `whichimay be closedby ered `itWill beapparent'that if the rotatable element is rotated by means of al crowbar, the cutting edge 2G willseverlor dislodge the ensilage from fthemass, permittingthe ensilage to fall -f through the quadrant shapedopeninginto the pit below. If desired a wheelbarrow' or the like maybe'positioned V inthe pit to receive the `ensilagefasitfalls.

Ithas been my experience th'atin a siloof average diameter, nmvementAofl they rotatable element-through one quarter of an'evolution Will-besuflicient'to dislodge ensilage suflircient; to feedthe stock Von nfai'm ofaveragel size.

To j J-reventithe mass ofensilageffromrotating 'with the rotatableelement]` provide a plurality ofvertieal ribs QQi'nwcircumferentiallyspaced relation nponthe inner Vsurface of the silo wall.-` The ribs maybeof concrete and formedin-tegrally with: the silo, or ifthe silo isconstructed of Wood, strips of Woodmay be nailed to the silo Wall `toform the ribs.` v

Ifldesiredfthe rotary bottom may beconveniently rotated* a partialrevolution' by means of a blockaud tackle, and vto that end I provideaneye bolt 30 upon `the extremity ofeachlbeam 17 at the sides thereoffacing the direction ofy rotation of the bottom. A double block 3lisanchored in the Wall of the pit adjacent the ledge l2, and 'af cableis secured at one end to saidblock as at-82 which is to be` hooked inone of theeye bolts S0. The cable is thenvagainpassed' around i theblock 31, and its terminal Wound around drinn 34 mounted in a bracket-35 Whiclr is firmly secured to the inner surface of the Wall of the pitadjacent the bottom thereof. A ratchet 36 is mounted for rotation withthe drum and is adapted to be engagedby a paWll 37 pivotally mountedfofnthe bracket whereby to prevent a reverse movement of the drum and toretain t-he cable under strain. y

muse, oneofith'e `beamsis :located at:l an anggulaidistancev ofone-.quarterf` of a; circle from the yblock 31, andtlieadrum isVrot-ated by ymeans of. a crank handle i nuntilrthe Vrotary vbottom hasbeen moved Athrong-h `a disy tance 0f one-quartervofarevolution.` lIfthis amount of movement isfnotfsufiicient .to dislodge, the desired iamount ofensilage, the block: is f unhooked.4 from its beam` and refconnected :to the` next adj acent ybeam and .the rotary bottom ,maybeagain rotated sthrough a partial revolution. i -While Ihave illustratedEandvdeseribed my invention-with some degree of fp articul arity,lurealize that in Jpracticevarious alterations thereover may be madeandgL therefn'e de;- si'refto reserve4 the right andV priyilege ofchanging` the` lform offthe detailS` 0f construe.- tiony or otherwise:alteringthe` arrangement i ofi: the: correlative parte,y WithoutLdeparting 90 from the"spiritfoflthe invention. or the. scope offv theappended; claiin- 5 4Having thus described myiinvention, what I claim asfnevv-` and 5 desire to. securek by Letters Patent` is j j V In a silohavingan annularY supporting ledge located at a point above its bottoni,`an annular.` supporting J plate mounted; on said ledge, la. frameworkvlocatech within. the. silo 4formedofradiali beams, havingtheir outer 100ends restinlgton the Walls off` thesilo,A and th'eir innemend-s'dlirg-ictedk upwardly, a circular block mounted on said beam havinganannnlar race-Way, a` centralstnd, on-l the block, a rotatable platform,Aa block mounted 105 centrally upon the under side thereof providedWLithsan annular naceLWayandi-a, central recess to receive thestud-,antgi-.frietion rollers 'mounted on theperiphery, ofthe supportingrplatform resti-ng .up on the-plate, and a spiral plate mountedupon the platform having: ai qua drantal openingy formed therein and oneedgelofithe plate formingthe opening sharpenedwforlthe'purpose setfortbf `In testimonyy whereof I1' -myfsig-natnre 115 in' presencerofaWitness.l Y

Y ,i MATTHEW e: BECKNER:

'Witnessz f MfE Jonas:

Copies of this patent may be: obtained: for/five cents each, byaddressingtthe-,(lornrnissianer ofatents, -Y Washingtonnrcwf

